ABSTRACT
Previous scholars have demonstrated the efficiencies of mobile app usage in fostering engagement among game players. Nonetheless, their focus was merely on the gaming and education contexts. Using goal-setting theory (GST), this research enhances these investigations by examining the effect of the introduction of extrinsic forces (gamification) for the purposes of engagement in a non-game context. Thus, this paper discusses the application of GST and gamification as extrinsic forces on mobile fitness app engagement. According to GST, two antecedents explain goal setting—goal core and goal mechanism—while engagement is the actual behaviour. This model was pre-tested by industrial experts as well as by scholars using interviews. The pre-test results showed that the antecedents, consisting of goal core and goal mechanism, were identified as intrinsic forces, and should include individual objectives and direction planning attributes. Gamification is the extrinsic force, and should consist of game design and game mechanics. Both these forces, extrinsic and intrinsic, were hypothesised for the purpose of engagement with mobile fitness apps.
